PHOTO EPISTLE #37- Guest Post by Paul Davis

A couple of weeks ago, Leslie and I had dinner with some good friends of ours, Paul and Amy Davis. During the evening, Paul shared with us a wonderful story about forgiving others. I also knew Paul enjoyed photography since he had taken a photo workshop from me, so I asked him if he had a photo he felt might illustrate or represent his story. I really wanted Paul to share his story with my PE readers…he agreed and below is his story…

“FORGIVENESS IS BEYOND ME”

“A bar bouncer was nice enough to let us take photos of him for our photography class.  This one reminds me of a realization I had a few years ago that forgiveness is beyond me.

When I was working out of state, I had a difficult boss.  He was doing stuff that was just wrong.  My flesh was calling out, “Injustice!”  Legally, I had every right to focus on the injustice, yet I knew Jesus commands me to forgive.  So I know I should forgive and I really wanted to forgive, but I just didn’t have it within me to forgive.  I just couldn’t muster it up.  So Jesus, if you command me to forgive, there must be a way for it to be possible.  If I’m going to forgive, Jesus you will have to be forgiveness in me, because I just don’t have it, apart from you.  Later that day my boss was in my office and we were looking at a set of drawings.  I felt the Holy Spirit nudge, “Ask him about his dad.”  What?  That’s going to be awkward!  I knew, however, these kinds of opportunities to obey a “nudge” from God are paper thin.  If you don’t obey, that chance is gone forever.  So I asked him, “Hey, what was your dad like?”  Right there in the middle of our discussion about those drawings, just “out of the blue”.  He said. “You think I’m hard on you guys?  You should’ve seen my dad!”  He went on for ten minutes telling me how rough his dad was on him when he was growing up.  Wow!  I had no idea.  So that’s the reason he was difficult on us.  Because of this discussion, I had compassion for him, which led to forgiveness!  I didn’t have that much forgiveness in me, but I went to The Source who does.  I thank God I was able to obey that ”nudge”!  I still might have been carrying around that 100 pound ball and chain of unforgiveness. ” -PAUL DAVIS

Romans 8:5 (New International Version) ⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

the Jesusfreak